Chat GPT launches responsible study mode: what's that all about?
OpenAI's new study mode asks students questions, but the learning function is not a solution to the impact of AI on education.
Published on July 30, 2025
As editor-in-chief, Aafke oversees all content and events but loves writing herself. She makes complex topics accessible and tells the stories behind technology.
ChatGPT is introducing a new “study mode” to encourage students to use the tool responsibly. Instead of providing complete answers, study mode asks users questions to guide them through the learning process. The goal is to encourage more engaged and in-depth interaction, rather than using ChatGPT purely as an answer machine.
The Background of Study Mode
The introduction of study mode comes amid growing concerns about the misuse of AI in education. A survey by The Guardian revealed that there were nearly 7,000 proven cases of cheating with AI tools at British universities in the 2023-2024 academic year. This is a significant increase from 1.6 cases per 1,000 students in 2022-2023. This growing number of cases of misuse highlights the need for a tool that helps students use AI responsibly. Study Mode is designed to encourage students to understand the material rather than simply copy answers. Jayna Devani, international education lead at OpenAI, emphasizes that study mode is a step forward in demonstrating that there are responsible ways to use ChatGPT to support the learning process. With this tool, OpenAI wants to contribute to a shift in the way students approach AI, from a tool for quickly obtaining answers to a partner in the learning process. Mistral AI takes on ChatGPT with lightning-fast ‘le Chat’Mistral AI's latest AI assistant aims to reshape productivity and compete with top players such as ChatGPT.
How study mode works
Study mode uses the Socratic method, which reflects questions back to the user to encourage them to think critically. Instead of providing immediate answers, the tool guides students with open-ended questions and asks them for more context about their learning goals. Abhi Muchhal, who works in OpenAI's product team, explains that study mode first asks what the user wants to optimize and what their current level is, rather than immediately providing a detailed answer. An important aspect of study mode is the ability to interact with images, allowing students to upload old exam questions and go through them together with the chatbot. This interactive approach is intended to help students understand the underlying concepts and solve problems independently. Study mode is available to most logged-in ChatGPT users, including those using the free version.
OpenAI's vision for AI in education
OpenAI sees AI as a tool that can help students “think better,” similar to the internet and the calculator. Leah Belsky, Vice President of Education at OpenAI, argues that ChatGPT can significantly improve academic performance when used to teach or guide, but can hinder learning when used as an “answer machine.” OpenAI aims to reposition chatbots as tools for personalized learning, with the goal of closing the gap between those who have access to learning resources and high-quality education and those who have historically been disadvantaged. Study mode is a concrete step in this direction, and OpenAI is working with experts from Stanford to investigate how AI tools, including study mode, affect learning outcomes, for example, in primary and secondary education. The ultimate goal is to integrate AI into education in an effective and responsible manner.
Reactions and reservations
Initial reactions to Study Mode have been overwhelmingly positive. Several students from Princeton, Wharton, and the University of Minnesota who tested Study Mode gave positive reviews. One of them described it as “a rewarding feeling when the tool teaches you something small.” Teachers noted that study mode may give teachers more confidence to let students use AI, as it is seen as a tool that supports learning rather than just a way to cheat. Despite the positive responses, there are also reservations. There are concerns about the long-term effects of increasingly relying on AI tools such as ChatGPT for guidance, and whether young people who grow up constantly asking ChatGPT for help may develop an excessive dependence on the software that hinders critical thinking. Teachers are warned that study mode may teach students incorrect approaches to problems or “fabricated or completely false” information.
The launch of study mode comes after an executive order from the Trump administration aimed at integrating AI more into classrooms in the United States. This shows that there is a growing recognition of the potential of AI in education, but also of the need to do so in a thoughtful way. One of the biggest challenges is ensuring that students use study mode in a way that contributes to their understanding of the material. It remains the responsibility of users to engage with study mode in a specific way so that they truly understand the material. The temptation to get a quick answer remains high.
